March 6, 2020

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXX No. 89

DIMAPUR, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2020 Pages 12 ` 5.00

No shortage of medicines for 3 months: Govt

Man City, Leicester into FA Cup quarters

COVID-19: S. Korea registers 6000 cases

NATIONAL, PAGE 5

SPORTS, PAGE 12

INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 9

7 Cong MPs suspended from LS PANEL TO EXAMINE CONDUCT OF MPs FOR POSSIBLE DISQUALIFICATION

Proceedings underway in Lok Sabha during Budget Session of Parliament Thursday. (LSTV/PTI)

NEW DELHI, MAR 5 (AGENCIES): Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a motion suspending seven Congress members for the remaining period of the Budget session for their “gross misconduct” after they snatched papers from Speaker Om Prakash Birla’s table and for “utter disregard” for House rules. The Speaker has also accepted the government’s call to form a committee and examine their conduct for possible disqualification, sources said. “Snatching papers from the Speaker’s table is utmost disrespect to the Chair. Those who snatched

Organizations back PAC of NCD to continue

DIMAPUR, MAR 5 (NPN): Tribal hohos, nontribal communities and apex organisations, which had a threadbare discussion on the existence of Public Action Committee (PAC) of the Naga Council Dimapur (PAC) at a meeting on March 5, unanimously decided to let the PAC team “continue for the cause and welfare of the people.” PAC through its media cell stated that at the meeting, all the members shared their views on the need for the existence of PAC for the welfare of all the citizens of Dimapur in particular and Nagaland in general “in view of the ground realities confronting the citizens.”

Kma: Power outage

DIMAPUR, MAR 5 (NPN): Power department has informed that there would be a total shutdown of power supply to Southern Angami region and its surrounding areas under Kohima district on March 6 and March 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shutdown was being necessitated for stringing work on construction of 400 kV D/C(Twin) Transmission line from Imphal (Manipur) to New Mariani (Assam) via New Kohima (Nagaland) project for “North Eastern Region Strengthening Scheme (NERSS-VI)”.

This is it!

“No I’m not attending office till I confirm whether my sore throat is due to coronavirus”. K Y M C

papers from the Chair, their membership should be terminated,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said. The suspended members include Gaurav Gogoi, TN Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, Benny Behananm, Manickam Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla. The second half of the budget session, which started on Monday, ends on April 3. Calling it “revenge politics”, Congress’s leader of the house Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the party will “not let up”. “This is a government decision, not decision by Speaker.

What kind of dictatorship is this?” said Chowdhury. The suspension, he said, was an attempt to “weaken us”. “The government fears discussion on Delhi riots in Parliament,” he added. One of the suspended members, Gaurav Gogoi, later tweeted:”Suspend me, but please discuss Delhi riots tomorrow. Show your accountability towards the very people who voted for you...” The opposition parties, which have been demanding a discussion in House on the violence, have been hugely upset over the Speaker’s refusal to hold it any time before Holi, arguing that the

time for such a discussion is not right. The Speaker committed to a discussion on March 11, the day after Holi. Calling the conduct of a few Congress members in Lok Sabha as “unprecedented”, the BJP welcomed the decision to suspend the seven “unruly” members. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the “unruly” behaviour was “unprecedented” and would have shocked the country’s founding fathers. “We welcome the decision to suspend the unruly Congress members,” he said The tug-of-war on the issue had ensured repeated adjournments, allowing little time for any other business since parliament reconvened for the second half of the budget session. The biggest ruckus took place on Monday and Tuesday, when members of the government and the opposition engaged in a scuffle and threw paper missiles at the chair. After Monday’s uproar, Speaker Om Birla held the all-party meeting to lay some ground-rules for the smooth functioning of the House.

March 7: Ravi, NNPGs meet to finalise draft agreement Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, MAR 5 (NPN): Following their “positive and fruitful” meeting on February 24, 2020 in pursuit of the goal for signing the final agreement to the Naga Political issue, representatives of the Government of India (GoI) and Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) are all set to sit for another round of closed door meeting on March 7 in New Delhi. Negotiators from government of India will be led by government of India’s Representative and Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks, R.N. Ravi, who is also the Governor of Nagaland and the delegation of NNPGs led by its convenor, N. Kitovi Zhimomi. Sources informed Nagaland Post that the New Delhi meeting on March 7 will be an attempt by both sides (NNPGs and Centre) to smoothen any rough edges over earlier agreed positions,

before signing the final agreement. “Both sides are serious and committed to conclude the Naga political issue at the earliest. We have arrived at an understanding over the contentious issues so solution is not far,” said the source. In an exclusive interview to Nagaland Post after the February 24 meeting, both Ravi and Kitovi admitted that they were trying to find “clarity on some issues so as to finalise the final draft agreement”. Kitovi had told Nagaland Post that whatever the two negotiating parties have agreed in principle during negotiations have to be finalised and then the same would be forwarded to the Parliament. It may be recalled that after concluding the negotiations on October 31, 2019, both the negotiating parties have been trying toiron out some issues before signing the final agreement.

Nagas passing through difficult period: Rio

NEAN postpones ‘total cease work’

Correspondent

DIMAPUR, MAR 5 (NPN): National Health Mission Employees Association (NEAN), which had threatened to undertake “total cease work (No Pay No Work)” if the state government failed to release three months’ pending salary on or before March 5, Thursday has extended the deadline for another 10 days. In a press release, NEAN president Dr. Shasinlo Magh and general secretary, Kewetso Kenye said the association took the decision at an emergency meeting with all the district units in Kohima on March 5, 2020. NEAN said that the call has been taken “purely on humanitarian ground” in order not to affect the health service delivery, for the larger interest of the community/ public, considering the Coronavirus pandemic issue. It said that currently all the NHM health workers were actively involved in the screening and prevention activities. However, NEAN cautioned that if the government still failed to meet its demand within 10 days, the association would take the next course of action, as proposed earlier, without any further information.

KOHIMA, MAR 5 (NPN): Calling upon state civil officers to be prepared as Nagas were passing through a difficult period and at the crossroad, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio Thursday admitted that it was not an easy task to serve people as NCS officers since they get sandwiched between the government and Naga national groups. The chief minister said this while addressing the 45th general conference of the Nagaland Civil Service Association (NCSA) at the RCEMPA, Jotsoma. He acknowledged the difficulties faced by state officers but expressed the hope that through such hardships they would empathise with the struggles of the people they serve. Describing NCS officers as the most qualified to serve the people, Rio advised them not to depend only on their higher-ups for direction but to be more dynamic especially in dealing with emergency situations in far flung areas. He also lauded the pioneers of the state whose wisdom and foresight led to introduction of the Inner Line Permit under the Bengal Eastern Regulation

NIA raids residences of NSCN (I-M) functionaries DIMAPUR, MAR 5 (NPN): A team of NIA officials Thursday conducted searches at the residence of two senior NSCN (I-M) functionary in Dimapur in connection with the killing of Arunachal Pradesh legislator, Tirong Aboh and 10 others in May last year. According to highly placed sources, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team carried out searches at the houses of ‘maj. gen.’ Absolom Tangkhul and kilonser James Kiwang. Sources said that the NIA team seized incriminating documents and other items during the search. It may be recalled that the NIA, in November 2019, issued summons to ‘maj. gen.’ Rockwang Tahgkhul @ Absolom Tangkhul and NSCN (I-M) kilonser James Kiwang to present themselves before the agency on December 2, 2019 “for the purpose of answering certain questions related to the case.” According to reports, the NIA team had gone to the residences of the two in Dimapur on November 26, 2019 and issued the summons, signed by NIA Dy. SP, Ranveer Singh Tyagi. The NIA had also arrested several NSCN functionaries allegedly involved in the May 21 murder of Aboh and his entourage.

Neiphiu Rio (NP)

Frontier (BEFR) Act 1873. He said today ILP has been subsequently been extended to other north eastern states so as to be excluded from the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019. Rio also reminded that it was also the responsibility of the administration, village councils, colonies and wards to identify Indian citizens from the immigrants so that the society remained secured. He said it was important to have proper identification so as to help determine whether a particular person was an indigenous inhabitant of the State. Rio also informed the officers that delimitation exercise will be conducted soon. He said that the state government had rejected delimitation exercise as directed by the Centre in 2002 citing “faulty and unrealistic” projection of population

in Census 2001. He also disclosed that thestate cabinet was of the view that since the Naga political talks was at a very advanced stage, the exercise should have been deferred. Rio infor med that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called him and asked to go ahead with the delimitation process. Rio also urged the civil service officers to help promote local economy by coordinating with development departments in their places of posting and ensure that development funds were utilised properly. NCSA highlights hardship: In his presidential address, NCSA president W. Honje Konyak highlighted various hardships and problems faced by the NCS officers in serving the people, while impressing upon the officers to be sincere dedicated and efficient in their assigned tasks. He also narrated the struggles faced by NCS officers like having to work for 15-16 hours a day, especially while providing relief during natural calamities and during major events like Hornbill Festival and road shows conducted by the State government. (Cont’d on p-8)

Court fixes March 20 as new date for hanging of 4 Nirbhaya convicts NEW DELHI, MAR 5 (PTI): After three postponements in six weeks, a Delhi court on Thursday set March 20 as the fresh date for the execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case that has witnessed several twists and turns after they received the death sentence in 2013. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana directed that Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) “be hanged by the neck until they are dead on March 20 at 5.30 am”. All the convicts in the case are to be hanged together in Tihar jail here. The order was pronounced after the lawyers for the Delhi government and the convicts submitted that the condemned prisoners have exhausted all their legal remedies. A.P. Singh, the lawyer

Akshay Kumar

Pawan Gupta

Mukesh Singh

Vinay Sharma

for the convicts, conceded that there was no legal impediment for the court in proceeding to fix the execution date. “It is fairly conceded at bar by counsel of convict as well as public prosecutor (appearing for the State) that as of now, there is statutory no bar in exercise of power under 413/414 (issuing death warrant) of the CrPC, rather it is obligatory on the part

of the court to discharge the duties cast upon it under the relevant provisions. “In view of the same, it is directed that convicts shall be hanged by the neck until they are dead on March 20 at 6 am,” the court said. Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said their struggle would continue till the time they are hanged and hoped that March 20 will be the final date of hanging. “While dying Nirbhaya asked to ensure they get such punishment that such crime is not repeated ever. If there is any chance, I would like to see them die,” Devi said. The new date for the hanging was fixed even as the Supreme Court said it would examine on March 23 the legal issue arising out of the Nirbhaya case on whether there could be separate hanging in a common crime where there are more than one death row convicts.

Coronavirus cases in India rise to 30; states asked to form RRTs Landslide blocks NH-29 NEW DELHI, MAR 5 (AGENCIES/PTI): India’s coronavirus (COVID-19) cases rose to 30 after a man from Ghaziabad, with a recent travel history to Iran, tested positive. This number includes the first three cases reported from Kerala where students were diagnosed with the infection, treated and discharged. This means that there are only 27 active cases of the virus in India at the moment. The three cases reported from Delhi-NCR, two being that of males who recently travelled to Italy and another who returned from Iran, have also been included in this list of 30 patients. In addition, six acquaintances of the Delhi-based man with a travel history of Italy have tested positive for Covid19. One positive case has also been reported from Telangana of an individual who recently travelled to Dubai. Officials have maintained that all of the

infected individuals are stable and under constant observation. Authorities are also running against time to establish a thread of people the infected individuals might have come in contact with. Meanwhile, in a suspected case of coronavirus, a man from Raipur, who returned to India from Kenya through Dubai, has been put under home isolation. “At the airport, he insisted on getting tested. His samples have been sent for testing and results are awaited,” a health ministry official said. A total of 6,49,452 passengers have been screened at airports across the country from 6,550 flights as of March 5. In addition to this, 29,607 people have been kept under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP). States asked to form RRTs: Amid rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India, the Union

Health Ministry asked states on Thursday to set up rapid response teams (RRTs) at district, block and village levels stating that cases of community transmission of the disease have been observed. This is a cluster containment approach. The RRTs, which would include health officials, would promptly check and sensitise every household within 3 km-radius of the house of an infected person and also those who have come in contact with the affected, to prevent community spread of the virus, a health ministry official explained. “These health officials will urge those having symptoms of cough, fever and breathing difficulty to get themselves tested and stay home quarantined, besides sensitising them to stay alert and look for symptoms and report if any,” the official said. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan held a meeting

with the private hospitals in Delhi regarding their preparedness to deal with coronavirus. He had met Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain and civic body officials on Wednesday and urged them to augment facilities of isolation wards in city hospitals if more cases of coronavirus get recorded. 13 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) and National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, are performing tests for novel coronavirus in addition to ICMR-National Institute of Virology in Pune. Eighteen more laboratories will become functional from March 6. DC Dimapur reviews preparedness: To review the preventive measures being taken and preparedness for tackling possible coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the district, the deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur Anoop Khinchi held a meeting with health officials, District Task Force, Air-

ports Authority of India (AAI) and police at DC conference hall here on Thursday. Health officials briefed the gathering about the various steps being taken up in the district for tackling possible outbreak of COVID 19 in Dimapur district. Mentioning about the availability of N95 masks for frontline workers, Dimapur chief medical officer Pangjung Sangtam explained that the virus was large in size with a cell diameter of 400-500 micro, adding any three-layered mask available in the market could protect an individual from the virus. On their part, the AAI officials highlighted the procedures being followed at Dimapur airport. DC urged the citizens not to panic and stay away from spreading false and fabricated information while following good personal hygiene. This was stated in a DIPR release.

Poclains put in to action to clear the road block near Chumoukedima Police check gate.

DIMAPUR, MAR 5 (NPN): Landslide along the National Highway-29 near Chumoukedima Police check gate has suspended vehicular movement. In a tweet, Dimapur police have advised light vehicles to take alternate routes – Niuland-Zhadima or Jalukie-Pimla for the next 12 hours. K Y M C


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